Canopy frame



M. D. WELSH CANOPY FRAME Feb. 8, 1949.

2 Sheets- Sheet 1 Filed March 22, 1946 FIG. 2

INVENTOR MATILDA o. WELSH ATTORNEY Feb. 8, 1949. M. D. WELSH 2,461,014

CANOPY FRAME Filed March 22, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR MATILDA D. WELSH ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 8, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Matilda 1). Welsh, Ladue, Mo.

Application March 22, 1946, Serial No. 656,259

This invention relates to a canopy frame and concerns itself more particularly with a collapsible frame for a baby carriage canopy.

It is an object of the invention to provide a canopy frame which may be positively locked in its. erected position and which may be folded from its erected position through the operation of two levers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible mechanism for a canopy frame by means of which the same may be locked in its erected position and collapsed from this position through the operation of the mechanisms locking levers.

More specifically it is an object of the'invention to provide a collapsible canopy frame having a main bow and a shield bow supported thereon through a triangular shaped linkage, one leg of which mounts a plurality of supporting bows or ribs and the other leg of which comprises a series of linkages manipulable by two operating levers in one instance to lock the collapsible frame in an erected position and in another instance to collapse the same into a folded position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a collapsible canopy frame having a main bow which supports a forwardly disposed shield bow from which a sun visor bow may be lowered to depend from said shield bow.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a canopy frame having improved corner brackets for connecting the same with a carriage frame and bymeans of which the canopy frame maybe connected with or removed from the latter instantaneously.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds and a more comprehensive understanding of the invention will be afforded from the following detailed specification when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible canopy frame embodying the instant invention,

Fig. 2 is a side view with sections removed showing the collapsible canopy frame in its erected position,

Fig. 3 is a side view of the canopy frame with sections removed showing the same in a-par-tially erected position,

Fig. 4 is a side view of the canopy frame showing the same in its collapsible position, and

Fig. 5 is a side view showing an improved corner bracket by means of which the canopy frame may be attached to a supporting frame.

With reference to Fig. 1, the invention contem- 4 Claims. (Cl. 135--'7.1)

brackets I2 and '13 by means of which the-frame is attached to a supporting structure. Supported on two arms l4 and 15 of the main bowil are two triangularly shaped linkages each comprising respectively the links 16, IT, 18 and 18 for the arm [4, and the links 2|, 22, 2'3 and 24 for the arm l5. To the link 16 and 2| are bradded a plurality of fabric supporting bows or ribs 25, '26, and 2'! which are so attached to the links 18 1nd 2| as to pivot about their connecting points. Also connecting with the links 16 and H on the arm l4 and the links 21 and 22 on the arm I5 is a shield bow 28 which supports the forward or shield portion of the canopy. To this bow is attached a visor bow 29 which may be moved to its full line position in Fig. lto retract a sun visor within the shield or drop to its dotted line position to the visor carried thereon to. a protecting attitude.

Inasmuch as the linkages forming the canopy locking and collapsing mechanism for both the arms I4 and Ham identical, onlyone, that for the arm 14, will be described, it being understood that the operation described for the lever l9 must also be accompanied by similaroperationof the lever 24.

In construction, the link [8 is pivoted to an upwardly extending arm 3| of the corner bracket l2 at a point 32. Likewise the lever I9 is pivoted to the arm 3! at thepoint 32 the arm 31 being positioned between the link 1.8 on the outside and the lever IS on the inside, and the other end of the link I8 is pivoted at a point 33 to an arm 34 of the shield bow 28. The links 16 and I1 and the arm 34 are connected to pivot at a point 35, the parts being so arranged that the arm 34 occupies a position between the link '11 on the outside and the link 16 on the inside.

The other end of the link I! is attached to the lever !9 at a point 3.6, and occupies a position between the link! and the lever l9. Further an attaching means 31 for fixing the link [6 to the arm I4 is such that the link may pivot thereabout. lhis is true for the connecting means 38, 39, and M and their corresponding connecting means for the collapsible linkage on the. arm [5.

As may be seenin Fig. 2'when the canopy frame is locked in its erected position by moving a handle section 42 of the lever 19 and a similar section 43 of the lever 24 into contact with the respective links l8 and 23, the canopy frame is prohibited from any movement of its parts in any direction. Thus, the handles 42 and 43,

which provide means for manipulating the levers l9 and 25, also form stop means for limiting the rearward movement of these two levers to a place where the pivot point 35 and a corresponding pivot point 48 are moved past dead center. When in this position, if the bow 28 is pressed downwardly in an attempt to collapse the canopy frame, the force applied thereto will be transmitted directly through the links 18 and 23 to the corner brackets I2 and I3 and the whole frame in its erected position will pivot on its supporting structure about the points 45 and 46. Conversely, if a lifting force is applied to the bow 28 a reverse force will be effective through the same linkage to force the main bow ll against its support and no movement of the various component parts of the canopy frame will result.

As the levers I 9 and 24 are moved forwardly (clockwise in the figure), the pivot points 35 and 44 are moved forwardly out of dead center, and

either a lifting force on the how 23 or continued forward movement of these levers will collapse the frame. In either instance the bow 28 rotates about the points 33 and 41 and the links I! and 22 are thrust forwardly causing the points 35 and 48 to describe arcs about the points 33 and 45 as centers until they assume positions illustrated in Fig. 3. Thereafter the shield bow 28 continues to move about the points 35 and 48 until it occupies a position above the main bow l I, as is illustrated in Fig. 4.

With reference to Fig. 4 it will be noted that rotation of the levers l9 and 24 in a counterclockwise direction cannot be resorted to to erect the canopy since the links H and 22 are in dead line positions with respect to the arms of the how 28, Accordingly, raising of the canopy is effected by movement of the how 28 in a clockwise direction until it occupies its front forward position which will carry all of the component parts of the frame into their erected positions. The frame is then locked by forcing the handles 42 and 43, as stops, against the links 18 and scribed.

A modification of the corner brackets heretofore described is illustrated in. ,Fig. 5. Here a bracket is shown which comprises an arm 49 by means of which it is attached to the arm of a main bow, such as I4. A second arm making an obtuse angle with the arm 49, also forms a part of the bracket and the same is drilled at 52 to receive a bolt or other pivoting means for the links of the locking mechanism described above. An elongated hole 53 is drilled in the arm 51 and a slot 54 is cut therein which communicates with the hole 53. Through this slot a connecting pin for fixing the collapsible canopy to its supporting structure may be passed into the hole 53 without removal of any portion of the attaching means, such as a nut of a bolt.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is possible 'the same may be practiced in other ways with- 23 as previously de- What is claimed is:

1. A collapsible canopy frame comprising a main bow having a first and a second arm, a first and second mechanism supported on said arms each comprising first and second supporting links carrying a plurality of fabric supporting bows, first and second straight links connected at one end with said supporting links, first and second curved links and first and second levers pivoted for movement about points supported on said arms of said main bow, said first and second levers receiving respectivelv an end of said first and second straight links and the same being pivotally attached thereto at points above a point of connection'between said curved links and said levers with said main bow, a shield bow connected with said supporting links and said straight links at their points of connection and arranged to pivot thereabout, said shield bow having arms with which said first and second curved links connect, and stop means carried on said first and second levers movable against said first and said second curved links to lock said shield bow in an erected position, said first and second levers being movable from their locking position to cause said shield bow to pivot about points characterized by its connection with said curved links to move the same into superposition with said main bow.

2. A collapsible canopy frame as claimed in claim 1 including a visor bow depending from said shield bow.

3. A collapsible canopy frame as claimed in claim 1 including first and second angular brackets connecting respectively with the first and second arms of said main bow for attaching said canopy frame to a supporting structure.

4. In combination with a collapsible canopy frame having a main bow and a shield bow interconnected by two straight links each pivotally connected at one end with said shield bow and at its other end with said main bow, a frame collapsing and locking mechanism supported on an arm of said main bow comprising a curved link connecting with an upright arm on said main bow in one instance and with said shield bow in a second'instance, a lever having stop means thereon connecting with said upright arm and pivoted to move thereabout, and a straight link connecting with a pivot point on said shield bow in a first instance and with a pivot point attaching the same to said lever in a second instance, said last .pivot point occupying a position above the pivot point of said upwardly extending arm, said lever being movable in a first instance to lock said shield bow in its erected position and movable in a second instance to cause the same to pivot about its pivot point connecting the bow with said curved link.

MATILDA D. WELSH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

